-
Learnabout Osteoporosis
Get the latest information and research on osteoporosis.
-
Find treatment, guidance and advice on living with osteoporosis.
-
Share your experience and get involved. Joining the conversation is the first step to ending osteoporosis and broken bones.
Bone Health Basics: Get the Facts
When you think about staying healthy, you probably think about making lifestyle changes to prevent conditions like cancer and heart disease. Keeping your bones healthy to prevent osteoporosis may not be at the top of your wellness list. But it should be.
What is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a disease of the bones. It happens when you lose too much bone, make too little bone or both. As a result, bones become weak and can break from a minor fall or, in serious cases, even from simple actions, like sneezing or bumping into furniture.
Bone Basics
Some people think of bones as hard and lifeless. But, your bones are actually living, growing tissue. Your bones are made up of three major components that make them both flexible and strong.
Are You at Risk?
There are a variety of factors that can put you at risk for developing osteoporosis. These include both controllable and uncontrollable factors. It is important to discuss your risk factors with your healthcare provider. Together, you can develop a plan to protect your bones.
Prevention and Healthy Living
Osteoporosis and the broken bones it can cause are not part of normal aging. There is a lot you can do to protect your bones throughout your life. You’re never too young or too old to improve the health of your bones. Osteoporosis prevention should begin in childhood. But it shouldn’t stop there. Whatever your age, the habits you adopt now can affect your bone health for the rest of your life. Now is the time to take action.
What can you do to protect your bones?
- Get enough calcium and vitamin D and eat a well balanced diet.
- Engage in regular exercise.
- Eat foods that are good for bone health, such as fruits and vegetables.
- Avoid smoking and limit alcohol to 2-3 drinks per day.
Calcium and Vitamin D: What You Need to Know
Getting enough calcium and vitamin D is essential to building strong, dense bones when you're young and to keeping them strong and healthy as you age. Visit the page to learn all you need to know about calcium and vitamin D - the two most important nutrients for bone health.
Food and Your Bones
The food that you eat can affect your bones. Learning about the foods that are rich in calcium, vitamin D and other nutrients that are important for your bone health and overall health will help you make healthier food choices every day.
Exercise for Strong Bones
There are two types of exercises that are important for building and maintaining bone density: weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercises.
Detecting Osteoporosis
Making a Diagnosis
A medical evaluation to diagnose osteoporosis and estimate your risk of breaking a bone may involve one or more steps.
Low Bone Density (Osteopenia)
Low bone density (osteopenia) is when your bone density is lower than normal, but not low enough to be considered osteoporosis. It may mean that you have a greater chance of getting osteoporosis if you lose bone in the future because you have less bone to lose. People with low bone density are more likely to break a bone compared to people with normal bone density.
